Verizon Wireless invested $160M in upstate in 2012

Last year marked the 12th consecutive year Verizon Wireless Inc. invested more than $100 million in Upstate New York.

The company invested more than $160 million in the region in 2012, bringing its overall total investment to more than $1.6 billion since 2000, officials said.

Verizon Wireless also announced plans to continue the rollout of its high-speed 4G LTE network in the region, expanding to five new sites, in Rochester, Geneseo, Macedon, Newark and York.

Analytics and market intelligence company Analysys Mason recently released a report stating Verizon Wireless had the top LTE network in the country, with population coverage of more than 273 million people and 35 percent of its subscribers using LTE. AT&T Inc. was second, with 170 million people and an estimate of 10 percent subscriber usage.

“In the two years since we first launched 4G LTE in Upstate New York and across the country, the 4G LTE ecosystem has expanded from a few smartphones and laptop modems to include dozens of smartphones, tablets, mobile hotspots, modems and machine-to-machine devices,” said Chris Felix, president of the Upstate New York Region. “Our continuing investment in 4G LTE technology and other enhancements to our local network will ensure our customers have the very best technology at their disposal when they use their wireless devices.”